Display apparatus



March 21, 1939. O JANZEN 2,151,600

DISPLAY APPARATUS I Filed Dec. 25, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 =lll1 iiuammal INVENTOR.

flrra d4/s Zf/1 ATTORNEY.

March 21, 1939. o. JANZEN DISPLAY APPARATUS Filed Dec.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY.

7/2 Ella-Z9 Patented Mar. 21, 1939 3 1 6 0 m rler APPARATUS Oflq anzen Be in Her sdm G m ny. assi nof one-third to I don,'England, a comp tvvp thirds to Walter gam Application December 23, 1935, Serial No.

Follopas Patents Ltd, Lonany of Great Britain, and Ag'ulnik, Berlin-Dahlein,

In ,Germany December 24, 1934 3 G e i- For the illumination of display apparatus such as firms signs, shop-window advertisements, etc, use is frequently made of luminous letters. These letters are usually shown in light of a single colour. By the provision of flowing light, even more colour efiects have recently been obtained, the movement of a coloured disc or of coloured rods being visible in the glass letters .or signs forming the display surface.

An object of the invention is to provide a device for illuminated advertising with flowing light by arranging a light, refracting surface between the light source and the display surface.

In carrying the invention into elfect in one form there is provided display apparatus comprising a display surface constituted wholly or in part by one or more lens- .or prism-shaped translucent bodies and comprising .a further translucent retracting body which has an irregular surface and is arranged between a light source and the display surface and is movable transversely to the rays from the light source directed toward the display surface to give the appearance of flowing light in the translucent parts of the display surface.

In the accompanying drawing Figure 1 shows in sectional elevation an embodiment of the invention; Figure 2 shows an end view from the left of the apparatus shown in Figure 1; Figure 3 showsa multi-coloured translucent disc with its support, which parts appear also in Figure 1; Figure 4 shows a lamp assembly and supporting disc which appear also in Figure 1; Figure 5 shows in sectional elevation another embodiment of the invention, somewhat simpler than the apparatus shown in Figure 1; and Figure 6 shows diagrammatically a sectional view of the apparatus of Figure 1.

In the embodiment shown in the Figures 1 to 4 of the drawings the casing I is suitable for suspension in a shop-window or in the open. In the latter case, it may also easily be made watertight and, as indicated, be suspended from cables or the like. The casing I is closed by a wooden, sheetmetal or other wall 2 which does not admit, or only partly admits, light, and which carries the letters or signs 3 forming the display surface. Openings 4 corresponding to the shape of these letters or signs are provided in the Wall 2 behind the letters for their illumination from the interior.

In the interior of the casing I, a translucent body 5 is provided, of which the surface a: facing the wall 2 is made uneven. This body 5 may preferably consist of an ordinary ornamental glass is hammered, fluted,

ce flowers, or made er manner. There is attached coloured disc of one or more be an independent of translucent coloured varthe body 5.

unit or The body 5 is coloured disc 6 in rollers "I, the lower roller of which preferably serves at the same time to impart a rotation in its own plane, which is instance, by an electric motor 8 thr to the body 5 ough a reduction gear 9. If desired, the illuminating arrangement Ill mayalso be set into r .It is quite possible to coloured disc 6 in one direction and e illuminating arrang same gear. 5 with the to rotate th to them.

body .5 and the coloured disc and move them in difierent desired, at diiferent speeds. alone or together with the b0 otaticn by the n different rollers directions and, if The coloured disc 6 dy 5 may, if desired,

alternatively be axially driven. Just as it is possible to obtain a variation 0 of the light flow by varying of the individual parts, such be obtained by varying th and emanation of the light,

the appa ent spee the speeds of rotation variation may also which can be achieved by varying the distances between the body 5 and the display surface or the end, the bearings for the b0 disc 6 may be arranged so along the path of the rays. to be illuminated consist of c like of prism or lens-shape lens-shaped it is meant that is, or both are, continuously the letters and signs are r driving motor 8 may, of any other place in the d arranged outside the casing vided with a regulable speed arranging several separate device advertising, for example in a r may be commonly driven by a As is seen in Fi which is rotatably may consist for colour zones, each gure 3, t mounted b light source. dy 5 and the coloured as to be displaceable The letters and signs olourless glass or the d cross-section.

ound glass rods.

evice.

To this y one of the surfaces curved. Preferably The rse, be arranged at It may even be I and may be proof rotation. When s for illuminated ow, these devices motor.

he coloured disc 6, etween the rollers 1,

instance, of three concentric of which consists of a plurality of surfaces of different colours.

Figure 4 shows an arran source II], which consists of cent lamp and four incandesc distributed over the rotating gement of the light a central incandesent lamps uniformly surface. Of course,

rotate the body A produced, for

2 the light source must be suited to the light requirements of the display surface.

Figure 5 illustrates a device for illuminated advertising which merely differs from that shown in Figures 1 to 4, in that only one central light source is provided, this being suflicient for smaller display surfaces.

Band-like devices may be used instead of one or more rotating discs. This modification is not fully illustrated but, for instance, can readily be performed by arranging the body 5 and the coloured surface 6 in the fashion of a Venetian blind, while suitably modifying the drive for band-like-movement. Strip-like display surfaces may also be employed.

Figure 6 diagrammatically illustrates the action of the device. The light emanating from the light source l passes through the coloured disc 6 and to the light-retracting surface a: of the disc 5, from which it passes with its refractions into the body of the luminous letter 3, completely illuminates the latter and is reproduced over its entire surface. If the disc is moved transversely to the rays in the direction of the arrow, the apparent motion in the same direction of the light leaving the surface :r is converted into an apparent circular movement in the light leaving the rod-shaped illuminated letter 3, so that the impression is created of light flowing in the direction of the arrow indicated therein, which impression can be varied from moving light zones to the apparent flow of a luminous liquid according to the degree and nature of the unevenness of the surface :12. If the coloured disc 6 is moved simultaneously with the disc 5, the flowing light in the luminous characters 3 is coloured in accordance with the part of the coloured disc which cuts the light beam at the particular time, or is blended by the refraction, whereby a luminous representation is obtained which captivates the spectator by the magnificence of its animated colour. Owing, to the continuous movement of the light-refracting ornamental disc, an apparent transplantation of its ornamentation into the luminous letters or pictorial characters is accomplished by the simplest means.

I claim:

1. Display apparatus comprising a light source, a display surface having signs thereon, said surface being constituted at least in part by refracting translucent bodies, and a disc of translucent material having an irregular refracting face, said disc being arranged between said light source and said surface and means for rotating said disc about an axis passing approximately through said light source and through the middle of said surface and a disc of multi-colored translucent material rotatable about the same axis as said irregular faced disc.

2. Display apparatus comprising a casing, a source of light within the same, a display surface allowing light to pass through the same at least in part, a rotatable disc of solid material allowing light to pass therethrough, said disc being substantially parallel to said surface, a motor within said casing and means associated therewith for rotating said disc, the face of said disc adjacent to said surface being uneven to provide irregular refraction and the opposite face being relatively smooth, and a multi-colored rotatable disc allowing light to pass therethrough interposed between said source of light and said first mentioned disc.

3. Display apparatus comprising a casing, a source of light within the same, a display surface allowing light to pass through the same at least in part, a rotatable disc of solid material allowing light to pass therethrough, said disc being substantially parallel to said surface, a motor within said casing and means associated therewith for rotating said disc, the face of said disc adjacent to said surface being uneven to provide irregular refraction and the opposite face being relatively smooth, and a multi-colored rotatable disc allowing light to pass therethrough interposed between said source of light and said first mentioned disc,'said discs being in contact with each other.

OTTO JANZEN. 

